Tirone (The Night Skulls MC #2)(24)

I grinned. “Thank you so much.”

“What baffles me, though, how a woman of your intellect can be associated with someone like your boyfriend.”

In other words, “How could an innocent, well-educated teacher be that dumb to be in love with a gangster from the Night Skulls?” Well, I wasn’t innocent, and no education in the world could sway a heart from what it wanted. “My personal life is my business, Mr. Chase.”

“The Night Skulls is going to stand in the way of what could be a bright future for you, Miss Meneceo.”

Something dark rippled in me. An urge I couldn’t ignore. “Tread carefully, Mr. Chase. The Night Skulls are my family and my home. I won’t tolerate any offense of any kind regarding them.” I wouldn’t let anyone trash Furore or the club.

He pushed his thick glasses up his nose and cleared his throat. “Duly noted.”

“Great.” I was glad he understood the threat underneath my words. For years, I’d kept my head low, feeling weak and defenseless on the inside even if I projected a different energy. A few days with Furore, and things were changing for me. I smiled as Mr. Chase opened the door, liking this new power I began to discover in me, the power of belonging to the Night Skulls, the power of belonging to Furore.

“My secretary will email you the schedule,” he said, frowning at Furore, who had been waiting with Ty outside all the time—after he’d threatened to chop Mr. Chase’s hand off if he’d even thought about touching me in that closed classroom. “We look forward to working with you, Miss Meneceo. Have a good day.”

Furore wrapped a possessive arm around my waist. “You, too.” He induced enough fear in Mr. Chase with a glare before he spun and walked me outside, Ty next to us, baring his teeth at his father’s arm.

I slipped out of Furore’s embrace. While I loved snuggling into him, the last thing I wanted was another fight between them at the place I worked. “You didn’t have to wait for me outside the whole time. I’m not a baby, and you know you’re not my father, right?”

“I do. Your father is a piece of shit fuck I’ll kill the second I see. But,” he lifted me and placed me on his bike, while I yelped, “you are my baby girl. I’ll protect you, spoil you, take care of you,” he slapped my butt, “and spank you if I have to.”

“Laius,” I bit under my breath, heat burning my cheeks, looking around me to see if anybody was close enough to witness.

“The next time you undermine my authority in front of someone I wouldn’t let shine my boots, it won’t be just a spank. That piece of shit Carson might look fancy to you, but he’s a stupid gambler with a heavy debt I now own. I have him by the balls. You can’t make me or you look weak in front of him, you hear?” He put on his sunglasses and straddled the bike. “Stick your tits on my back and hold tight.”





CHAPTER 14


Tirone



“Did you not say you want to go shopping?” I had to say something, anything to keep his hand off my girl. “I wanna buy shit, too. Let’s go to the mall.”

“I’ll take you both later tonight. I have to head back. I have to meet someone,” Furore said.

“How about you go and I take Jo to the mall?” I glanced at her. “Is it okay if I call you Jo from now on? It’s more fitting since you’re dating my father,” I taunted.

Her lips tightened, and Furore just stared at me with a steel face. “I don’t see why not. Jo’s already family,” he answered for her, getting a wad of cash out of his pocket. “All right. You kids go have fun at the mall while Daddy takes care of business.”

I rolled my eyes. “I have money.”

“John McNamara’s cash ain’t no good here. I’m your father, and she’s my woman.” He split the bills and gave each of us a half.

I gestured for her to ride my bike, where she fucking belonged. “Jo?”

“You out of your fucking mind, Rex?” he growled. “My ol’ lady won’t ride no man’s bike other than mine, not even yours. I’m giving her a ride to the mall. You tag along.”

Motherfucker. “What about when we go home?”

“Call me. I’ll come pick her up if I’m done. If not, I’ll send a car.” He twisted the handle and started down the road.

Internally, I roared louder than my bike, fantasizing about all the ways I could kill him. Break every single bone in his body, chop off his dick and let him bleed out, burn him alive, beat the shit out of him until nothing was left of him to be fixed…How did that Lanza guy say his boss killed his enemies? He cut them to pieces after torturing them with his knife or flayed them and fed them to the coyotes? I didn’t remember exactly. I was worried sick about Jo, and that creepy man was bragging about the family members’ torture methods with a sadistic smile on his face, but I should have listened carefully…to learn.

He kissed her when we arrived at the mall, always laying his claim, as if he knew he had to do it all the time because she didn’t really belong to him. It made me feel good, the insecurities I’d planted in him, but every time he touched her, I still writhed in rage on the inside, dying in flames.

Small victories. Think about the small victories. They’ve been fighting since you told him about Mark and yanked him off her before he fucked her. They haven’t slept together since, and she’s going to the same school you are like you wanted, and you’ll have plenty of alone time to reclaim her.